Integrated circuit (IC) devices typically included an IC chip housed in an IC “package” that typically includes a plastic, ceramic, or metal substrate. The IC chip includes an IC formed on a thin wafer of silicon. The IC package supports and protects the IC chip and provides electrical connections between the IC and an external circuit or system. Typically, the IC package is connected to a PCB by way of solder balls that form a BGA.
To ensure consistent quality, IC manufacturers typically test their IC devices thoroughly before shipping to customers. Part of this IC testing determines if the IC device is functional, and the results of these tests provide customers operating characteristics that are used by the customers in designing their systems. Another portion of the testing process involves determining the reliability of the IC package when subjected to various environmental conditions, such as extreme temperatures and mechanical stress. Typically, these system level reliability tests are conducted only by building a complete circuit board with all peripheral components and circuits, which is similar to a graphic card or motherboard. In such cases, reliability tests are often limited to the power cycling and some kind of thermal cycling and vibration and the testing of connection BGA is very limited. To address this issue, the testing of the reliability of bumps or solder joints of a BGA package is typically conducted on a separate daisy chain PCB that has to be specifically designed and built, which adds cost and time to the overall fabrication process.